"He's expected to be indicted on lying to authorities and obstruction of justice," Jackson said. "He was in jail in Early County last week."

Early County Sheriff Jimmie Murkerson said Cawthon was held for about two hours last year concerning a traffic offense involving his son, but wasn't charged.

Mark Taylor, Cox's opponent for the Democratic nomination, has cited a letter by Cawthon to support his television ad saying Cox voted against the lottery.

The measure was approved by Georgia voters in 1992.

Terry Toole, who wrote a 1993 news article that appeared to support the contention in Taylor's ad, recently said it has been misinterpreted.

But Cawthon, who said in a letter that he heard Cox speak against the lottery at a public meeting in 1992, stands by his statement.

The Taylor campaign has demanded an apology and that Jackson quit.

But Cox said Monday after a speech at the Georgia Municipal Association convention in Savannah that Jackson will remain her spokesman.

"The people of Georgia could care less about threats between campaigns and calling on campaign staff people to resign," she said.

She said citizens want to hear her and Taylor talk about issues such as education and health care but can't because Taylor keeps ducking political forums.

"My campaign communications director," she said in reference to Jackson, "had an off-the-record discussion asking a reporter to check into something."

Off the record means not for publication.

Jackson did not say his comments had been off the record until the Taylor campaign had been told of them and demanded that he resign. Jackson then called a Savannah Morning News editor and tried to get the story about his comments killed.

Cox attempted to support some of the specifics of Jackson's comments.

"And in fact, the person at issue had been arrested and was charged with something and the charges were later dropped," she said.

She didn't comment on Jackson's statement that Cawthon was about to be indicted but implied that she approved of his tactics.

"When an opponent starts lying about you," she said, "you have to respond. This is going to be, apparently at the Taylor (campaign's) wishes, a three-week street fight."

The primary election is on July 18.

"I'm from the country and I know how to fight," she said. "And I'm going to fight for the right to represent Georgians and get us beyond this kind of bickering and insults and name-calling."

Taylor campaign spokesman Rick Dent called Cox's remarks "shameful."

"Not only did she not apologize," he said. "She's employing the same reckless, libelous and defamatory accusations against the same innocent man without any basis in fact."